African Landscape 2013.Issue 3 Awf

A resource for those involved in African conservation

African Wildlife Foundation’s AFRICAN LANDSCAPE 2013.ISSUE 3 AWF

IN THIS ISSUE AWF Calls for Destruction of Ivory Stockpiles, Moratoria on Domestic Trade

By Philip Muruthi Senior director, conservation science

urrent estimates of Africa’s elephant While recognising that some range states, Cpopulation range between 419,000 and particularly in Southern Africa, have invested 650,000, predominantly in Southern Africa in elephant conservation with positive results, (about 39 percent) and East Africa (about AWF is nevertheless urging all countries 26 percent). While populations in Southern to make a necessary sacrice in shutting AWF Species Update 6 Africa remain largely stable, those in East, down the ivory market. We therefore urge all Central and West Africa have declined due to governments to destroy all ivory stockpiles poaching and illegal wildlife tra cking. is and to place a moratorium on their domestic trend is reversing the conservation gains of ivory trade, to send a clear message that the last 20 years and has begun to threaten the poaching, ivory tra cking and trade will not long-term survival of the African elephant. In be tolerated. recent years, about 30,000 elephants have been killed across Africa annually. Other measures being taken Destroying stockpiles will eliminate the pos- As seizures of illegal ivory have grown in spite sibility of supplying ivory to the marketplace. of overall increased protection measures in Placing moratoria on domestic ivory trades New Lodge in Zambia 8 situ, stemming demand for ivory is crucial will ensure that illegal ivory cannot be fun- to allowing elephant populations to stabilise neled into the marketplace under the guise of once again. a legal trade. We understand, however, that a multidisciplinary approach is necessary to e availability of ivory in storage, along properly conserve Africa’s elephant popula- with the legality of a domestic ivory trade in tion. AWF is taking such a multi-pronged some countries, has direct linkage to growing approach to addressing illegal wildlife traf- demand. ese conditions create the impres- cking, providing antipoaching protection sion that ivory is a legitimate commodity to be on the ground; enhancing detection at land, traded. Meanwhile, the existence of legalised sea and airports; and providing transbound- domestic ivory trades makes law enforcement ary support and collaboration between law and the dierentiation between legal and il- enforcement agencies to disrupt international Women in Conservation 11 legal ivory almost impossible. criminal networks. continued on p. 6 2 African Wildlife Foundation’s African Landscape

AWF Senior Staff

Patrick Bergin The Heart of the Story Chief Executive Officer Kenya/United States he Al Shabab terrorist attack that But people are at the heart of the Afri- Jeff Chrisfield took place at Westgate Mall in Sep- can conservation story. On p. 8, you can Chief Operating Officer T United States tember hit very close to home for AWF. read about a new conservation tourism AWF is headquartered in Nairobi. While enterprise that AWF has opened in the Daudi Sumba Vice President for all of our sta are safe and accounted for, Kazungula landscape—a sport shing Programme Design and too many of us had friends, or friends of camp that not only secures a protected Government Relations friends, who were personally aected by area for elephants but also provides eco- Kenya the tragedy. Many of us will take a long nomic and community benets to area Kathleen Fitzgerald time to recover from the trauma of that residents. In the Samburu landscape, Vice President attack on our city, but we are moving AWF’s support of a nancial services for Conservation Strategy Kenya/South Africa forward with our lives. organisation has improved the lives of pastoralists who used to measure their Craig Sholley AWF and other conservation organisa- wealth by the size of their herds (p. 10). Vice President for Philanthropy and Marketing tions have asserted for some time that Our eorts there are reducing livestock United States terrorist groups are engaging in the pressure on the ecosystem, but, just as Technical Directors: illegal wildlife trade, using ivory sales to important, are providing new opportuni- fund their political agendas. e conr- ties for women. Jef Dupain Director, Great Apes Programme mation by the media that Al Shabab has Kenya indeed been involved in some of the bru- Finally, under the auspices of the US- Dave Loubser Programme Director, Climate Change Kenya Brian McBrearity Director, Conservation Enterprise Kenya People are at the Philip Muruthi Senior Director, heart of the African Conservation Science Kenya conservation story Daniel Wesonga

Director, AWF AWF Conservation Schools Kenya Landscape Directors: Charly Facheux tal elephant poachings on our continent AID/Uganda Tourism for Biodiversity Director, Congo Landscape only furthers AWF’s resolve to continue Programme, AWF and Uganda Wildlife Democratic Republic of Congo our work. We must shut down the illegal Authority (UWA) are also highlighting Benson Lengalen Coordinator, Samburu Landscape wildlife trade—for the good of Africa’s opportunities for women in Ugandan Kenya wildlife and of her people. ankfully, conservation. We honored 10 female Pascal Rouamba actions by governments from around the UWA employees who have provided in- Manager, Regional Parc W Landscape world (see cover story) are showing that spiring career examples for future female Burkina Faso we can win this war against greed, hatred conservationists in Uganda (see p. 11). John Salehe and fear mongering. Director, Maasai Steppe As these pages show, even in the face of Landscape, Tanzania Human side of conservation tragedy, there is much to ght for. We Kaddu Sebunya roughout this newsletter edition, we only need to look to Africa’s magni- Chief of Party, USAID/Uganda cent wildlife, beautiful landscapes and Tourism for Biodiversity Programme have made an eort to show the human Uganda face of conservation. When conservation extraordinary people to keep us going. Nasson Tembo organisations talk about their work, the Director, Kazungula Landscape human perspective is oen overlooked. Zambia How many of us have been guilty of dis- Fiesta Warinwa cussing natural resource management, Country Director, Kenya wildlife protection and biodiversity con- Daudi Sumba servation in terms that remove people Vice president for programme design African Landscape is published from the picture? three times a year, thanks to funding and government relations support from the Royal Netherlands Embassy.

AWF, Community Work In Brief Together to Protect AWF executives Patrick Bergin and Daudi Sumba Elephant Habitat attended the 4th Annual African Leadership Network event in Mauritius in October. WF secured more than 7,000 acres of protected land for Aelephants to roam in Kenya’s Amboseli ecosystem this year, Conservation efforts in Tanzania’s Manyara Ranch as it signed lease agreements with 703 area landowners during the Conservancy have resulted in new African wild months of July and August. dog sightings on the conservancy—the ﬁrst in several years. Amboseli National Park is home to about 1,400 elephants, but the park is too small to host this population and other wildlife. As they cross park boundaries, elephants frequently come into contact At the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting in with farms and communities, resulting in conict. In the past few September, AWF made 2 Commitments to Action: to years, AWF has signed land-lease agreements with hundreds of build a network of 15 primary conservation schools landowners to the east of Amboseli to ensure a protected wildlife in Africa in the next 10 years and to engage African corridor between Amboseli, Chyulu Hills National Park and entrepreneurs in conservation through its subsidiary, through to Tsavo East National Park. African Wildlife Capital.

e latest round of land-lease agreements were signed with the A WF recently ﬁnished conducting a large-mammal Maasai landowners of the Olgulului Group Ranch, located in the aerial census in the Kilimanjaro landscape. Initial Kitenden Corridor to the south of Amboseli extending across the reports appear positive. border into Tanzania’s Mt. Kilimanjaro National Park. In July, 533 landowners here signed agreements with AWF to lease 5,330 acres of land for conservation. is was followed by a lease signing with USAID recently awarded AWF a third round of fund- an additional 170 landowners in August, resulting in another 1,700 ing under its Central Africa Regional Programme for acres of land set aside for elephants. the Environment (or CARPE). This will be a 5-year grant for Central Africa Forest Ecosystems Conser- “By extending the Kitenden Corridor, we aim to reduce conict vation (or CAFEC). and provide both communities and elephants with a more peaceful existence,” says AWF Vice President for Conservation Strategy Kathleen Fitzgerald. “is is a win–win situation where wildlife get the habitat they need, and communities are given a payment for ecosystem service in exchange.” On the Radar

AWF launched the land lease program more than ve years ago and At the recent Great Ape Summit, attendees declared had previously beneted from support from Disneynature. With palm oil plantations to be one of the greatest these additional acres, AWF will have protected more than 25,000 threats to great apes on the African continent. acres in the region—a successful and innovative model of land conservation that has been copied by other conservation groups, including the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

AWF has come out with a new technical paper on community payments for ecosystem services.

To obtain a copy of the paper, visit awf.org/paymentforland

AWF signed land-lease agreements with landowners in southern Kenya, protecting 7,000 acres of land for elephants. Billy Dodson 4 African Wildlife Foundation’s African Landscape

The Use of REDD+ in Achieving Conservation Goals

By David Loubser Director, climate change

WF’s climate change programme focuses on water catchment or a wildlife corridor. For us, there is little both climate mitigation and adaptation and the point in embarking on a REDD+ project if the project does inclusion of climate-related impacts into AWF’s not meet our other conservation goals. entire conservation planning framework. e Adevelopment of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and In August, AWF and a consortium of partners embarked on Forest Degradation (REDD+) projects, while not the entirety a project to incorporate the entire Chyulu Hills ecosystem of AWF’s climate change eorts, is nevertheless an important into a REDD+ project. Located in southeastern Kenya, the tool in achieving these goals. 420,000-hectare project will seek to protect the Chyulu Hills cloud and lava forests and surrounding savanna woodlands REDD+ projects involve the development of new or im- for the next 30 years. e project encompasses the Chyulu proved livelihood activities that will reduce community Hills National Park; parts of Tsavo National Park; Rombo, dependence on consumptive forestry activities and con- Imbirikani and Kuku Group Ranches; and land owned or sequently protect the forests within which communities managed by the Kenya Forest Service, the Kenya Agricultur- live. e reduction in the amount of carbon emissions by al Research Institute and the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. the community is measured and “sold” as carbon credits to organisations wishing to oset their own carbon emissions. AWF is working with a large consortium of partners on e sale of these “credits” directly prots the participating this project. ey include the Kenya Forest Service, Kenya communities through a predetermined carbon benet– Wildlife Service, the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, sharing mechanism. Big Life International, the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, Conservation International, the David Sheldrick In addition to reducing emissions of carbon dioxide into the Wildlife Trust and Wildlife Works. Each of these partners atmosphere, REDD+ projects also help build ecosystem and has an extensive history in the area. human resilience to the harmful eects of climate change. e project is expected to generate carbon emissions Project in Chyulu Hills reductions, which will be sold, with the revenue re-invested As mentioned, REDD+ is a tool for climate change into projects to help the protection of the Chyulu Hills mitigation—not an end in itself. AWF is very selective about water catchment, ensuring its survival for the future. is the REDD+ projects we engage in. e projects must help is a critical step for securing the ongoing provision of water us realise specic conservation targets, such as protecting a services and the continued ow of water to the estimated 6

AWF and its partners have undertaken a REDD+ project in Kenya that seeks to protect the Chyulu Hills cloud and lava forests and surrounding savanna woodlands for the next 30 years. Amy Barrialle 2013.ISSUE 3 5

The Use of REDD+ in Achieving Conservation Goals

million downstream users of the Mzima Springs pipeline, nia. When AWF rst embarked on a REDD+ project there, including the city of Mombasa, on Kenya’s coast. “If we don’t the price of carbon was relatively high, and the potential secure the Chyulus using innovative means like REDD+, it benets from carbon were expected to be reasonably high. is likely that the very foundation for economic development Now, the cost of carbon has dropped, reducing potential in Kenya, namely water, could dry up in the next few years,” individual household payments to very little. By pooling the says Rob Dodson, vice president for payments into community-based African eld operations for Wildlife disbursements, the monies can Works. support one or more signi- Funds from the sale cant projects, such as a com- In addition, the projected positive of carbon credits will munity school or the salaries of impacts for biodiversity and job forest or game scouts. creation are intended to signicant- be reinvested into a ly augment the ongoing activities Regardless, AWF’s goal with of the partners. e Chyulu Hills variety of projects all of our REDD+ projects is study area lies between two major to get communities beneting parks, Tsavo and Amboseli, and this in some manner by the end of project therefore will help protect a signicant wildlife cor- the rst year, be this from carbon payments or other benets ridor. Further, small to medium-scale enterprises will be set such as improved agriculture or clean energy. It is helpful up to enable the communities to improve their livelihoods that the Chyulu Hills project is much larger than what we whilst protecting the forests and woodlands in the region. embarked upon in Kolo Hills and that more carbon per hectare is expected to be made available for sale. Some lessons learned e funds from the sale of carbon credits will be distributed e Chyulu consortium has initiated data collection and to the communities, which will reinvest them in a variety of eld work activities and aims to seek validation for the projects determined by the community representative body. project within the next six months. ese could be conservation or community-based projects. For more information on the Chyulu Hills REDD+ project or is is one of the lessons AWF has learned from our work on AWF’s other climate change adaptation and mitigation e orts, our rst REDD+ project in the Kolo Hills in northern Tanza- contact Dave Loubser at dloubser@awe.org 6 African Wildlife Foundation’s African Landscape

continued from p. 1 To continue to reduce both supply and demand of elephant ivory, AWF has additionally implemented awareness campaigns in both Africa and on the SPECIES UPDATES Asian continent (see covery story of Issue 2013.2).

Destroying stockpiles will eliminate the possibility ELEPHANTS of supplying ivory to the Shoring up MRC, Manyara Ranch marketplace Conservancy, Tanzania Honeyguide Foundation has assumed security operations at the conservancy under a new grant from AWF. Security has already improved, thanks to new Finally, we continue to mitigate conicts between specialised scout training and the employment of tracker elephants and humans (see “New Lodge in Zambia dogs. to Benet People, Wildlife” on p. 8) and ensure secure habitat for wildlife (see “Kenya’s Elephants Elephant protection, Lower Zambezi National Park, Get More Land” on p. 3). Zambia An AWF grant of US$54,000 is providing scout training, Pushing policy eld equipment and rations for 80 wildlife police o cers, AWF has further worked to push policy on the and support 72 ground patrol deployments and 24 hours of world stage. AWF CEO Patrick Bergin was re- aerial patrols. cently named to the Advisory Council on Wild- life Tra cking by the U.S. government, joining a Field training, Samburu Landscape, Kenya diverse panel of experts that will advise the White In February, AWF sent 38 community scouts for House and the Presidential Task Force on Wildlife comprehensive training at the Kenya Wildlife Service Field Tra cking. His seat on this advisory body allows Training School. An additional 24 scouts began their three- AWF’s African perspective and expertise to be month training at the Field Training School in September. heard by the U.S. government, ensuring that the plight of the African elephant is addressed from Water for elephants, Makgadigadi National Park, Botswana multiple levels. ough poaching in Botswana has not been as great as In September, AWF partnered with the Wildlife other parts of the continent, it is anticipated that elephants Conservation Society, WWF, the International here will be targeted soon. With AWF support, the Kalahari Fund for Animal Welfare and Conservation Inter- Conservation Society will be creating articial water points national at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual in the park during the dry season, to keep elephants within Meeting to make a public commitment to prevent protected areas and also minimise human–elephant conict. further elephant poaching. Joining these conservation groups were several of Africa’s heads of state and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. GREAT APES

e U.S. government also conducted an “ivory Bonobo tracking, Congo Landscape, crush” event in mid-November to destroy its ivory Democratic Republic of Congo stockpiles and provide an example for other nations AWF has trained 50 ecoguards and community members to follow suit. to conduct ecological monitoring using the CyberTracker monitoring technology in the Lomako–Yokokala Faunal It is clear that governments and other important Reserve. Locals are already gathering data in the reserve. bodies are showing leadership on the tra cking issue. AWF will continue to work with our partners Antipoaching for gorillas, chimps, Dja Biosphere to ensure that Loxodonta africana will survive—and Complex, Cameroon even rebound—across its current 37 range states. Aer the provision of US$25,000, donation of a CyberTracker unit and training in its use, rangers are is article was adapted in part from AWF’s ocial collecting ecological data in the biosphere reserve. e position statement on ivory stockpiles and trade, eorts are in support of antipoaching and ecological available at awf.org programmes here. 2013.ISSUE 3 7

n 2013, AWF created the Species Protection Grants Programme to quickly deploy Ifunding to partner organisations and regions where support is most needed for wildlife protection (see “New Species Strategy”, Issue 2013.2, p. 3). Following is a sampling of the projects AWF has already supported in the grant’s first year.

RHINOS CARNIVORES Safety doors, hangars and motorbikes, Tour guides for lions, Masai Mara National Great Fish River Nature Reserve, South Africa Reserve, Kenya With funding from AWF, the reserve has Leveraging the power of citizen scientists, an installed new “safety” doors on its rhino enclosures to AWF grant to the Kenya Wildlife Trust will soon train tour facilitate rhino exchanges with other reserves and built an guides to gather important ecological data on lions as they airplane hangar for aerial surveillance eorts. A second show tourists around the Mara. round of funding has been approved for the purchase of four new motorbikes for patrols. Predator-proof bomas, Tarangire National Park, Tanzania AWF, with support from the Indianapolis Zoo, has helped Motorbikes for monitoring, Hluhluwe iMfolozi National communities install 51 predator-proof bomas this past year, Park, South Africa helping to reduce human–carnivore conict. AWF has provided US$57,000 to buy motorised quad bikes that will allow rangers to better monitor the park. AWF’s species protection grants cover six different thematic areas: Saving Save’s rhinos, Save Valley Conservancy, elephants, rhinos, carnivores, Zimbabwe great apes, law enforcement and awareness. Funding typically ranges AWF approved an emergency grant for the between US$50,000 and US$100,000 conservancy, which is currently under severe and is disbursed to partners on the economic pressure due to loss of tourism ground that are protecting critical income, for the protection and monitoring wildlife populations. of its rhinos, wild dogs, elephants and other wildlife.

Monitoring desert-adapted rhino, Skeleton Coast, Namibia Ninety-ve percent of the desert-adapted black rhino population resides in Namibia. An AWF grant will fund Save the Rhino Trust’s Southern tracking team, which is deployed monthly to specic zones within Namibia’s Kunene and Erongo regions to identify individual rhino and collect data.

LAW ENFORCEMENT Africa–Asia enforcement, Africa and Asia rough a partnership with the Freeland Foundation, AWF will soon coordinate a joint training between Singapore police and member states of the Lusaka Agreement Task Force, particularly on wildlife DNA and evidence collection.

Success of antipoaching task force, Maasai Steppe Landscape, Tanzania Martin Harvey An antipoaching task force coordinated by AWF and involving authorities from area national parks, the regional crime o ce and the state’s attorney’s o ce has already apprehended several poachers. In two cases, poachers were sentenced to 20 years in prison. 8 African Wildlife Foundation’s African Landscape

New Lodge in Zambia to Benefit People, Wildlife

he region where Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and revenues will fund the salaries of the wildlife scouts who TNamibia meet is home to one quarter of Africa’s protect the community conservation area and the elephants elephants and possesses one of the most important that inhabit it. terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems in Africa. It has long drawn tourists as well, but local residents—of both e arrangement has been hailed by Hon. Ms. Masebo the human and wildlife variety—have not beneted as a model for other communities in Zambia. “We have signicantly from tourism. an example of a viable community-based conservation enterprise model involving communities in partnership In fact, development in the area has intensied competition with the private sector that contributes to tourism for natural resources and conict between people and development and wildlife conservation,” she remarked wildlife. For the past several years, AWF has worked with in a speech at the lodge opening ceremony. “It is through the people of the Sekute Chiefdom, located about 60 km community-based conservation enterprises such as west of Livingstone, Zambia, to alleviate such pressures, Machenje Fishing Lodge that local communities are implementing a series of projects that would provide safe able to turn that ‘burden’ of living with elephants into an passage for elephants traveling between countries and opportunity.” economic benets for local residents. One of these eorts— Machenje Fishing Lodge—was o cially opened by Zambia’s Machenje was also featured on the technical tour during Minister of Tourism and Arts Hon. Sylvia T. Masebo, MP, in the 20th General Assembly of the UN World Tourism August. Organisation, which was hosted by Zambia and Zimbabwe in late August. Model for Zambia Machenje is a sport-shing lodge wholly owned by the Funding for construction of Machenje Fishing Lodge people of Sekute. Under an innovative agreement brokered was provided by AWF and Taonga Safaris, as well as the by AWF, the conservation enterprise is owned by the Embassy of Finland – Lusaka, the Environment Agency of Sekute community but operated by a private-sector partner, Abu Dhabi, KfW Development Bank, Kavango–Zambezi Taonga Safaris. e community and Taonga will share in Transfrontier Conservation Area, UN Development lodge revenues. e operator has also guaranteed several Programme, UNDP–GEF Small Grants and the U.S. Agency permanent full-time positions for Sekute residents, as well for International Development. as additional seasonal positions. To learn about AWF’s other In return for AWF helping to establish the projects in the Kazungula lodge and brokering the partnership, the Sekute landscape, visit awf.org/ Chiefdom set aside more than 20,000 hectares landscape/kazungula of community land for conservation. Lodge

Chelsea Clinton visits Machenje Lodge achenje Fishing Lodge has received a number Mof high-proﬁle visitors since its opening. In addition to hosting Zambia’s Minister of Tourism and Arts Hon. Sylvia T. Masebo, MP, and delegates during the 20th General Assembly of the UN World Tourism Organisation, AWF also accompanied Chelsea Clinton, vice chair of the Clinton Foundation, to Machenje Fishing Lodge in early August to show how the revenue-sharing mechanisms brokered by AWF protect the continent’s largest elephant population.

“Elephant populations across Africa are declining rapidly due to poaching, and we need new approaches to stop the killing,” said Clinton. “AWF’s inventive work to support schools and establish community enterprise projects signiﬁes a long-term commitment that beneﬁts local communities and wildlife, for today and the future.” Clinton also visited Lupani The newly opened Machenje Fishing Lodge in Primary School (pictured), a conservation school AWF rebuilt Zambia drew praise from attendees of the UN World Tourism Organisation General Assembly as part of its work with the Sekute Chiefdom. for its community partnership model. AWF & Bernard Gani AWF 2013.ISSUE 3 9

AWF Brings Ecotourism Conference Back to its Roots

By Brian McBrearity When conservation lodges, such as Tawi Lodge pictured Director, conservation enterprise here, engage local communities, good conservation results. Amy Barriale

ith AWF as a key co-sponsor, the annual gathering of systems and tourism in Africa, but currently more than 100 Wthe world’s leading ecotourism and sustainable tour- elephants are killed every day for their tusks,” he said. “With ism professionals and tour operators returned to the indus- fewer than 450,000 remaining on the continent, this could try’s roots to take place in Nairobi, Kenya, this past Septem- result in this species being wiped out of some of its core ber. e Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference habitats in Africa within the next 20 years.” 2013 (ESTC13), convened by e International Ecotourism Society, attracted more than 400 delegates eager to discuss Capacity building opportunity the emerging issues, trends, successes and challenges facing Maximising its sponsorship of ESTC13, AWF invited this segment of the global travel industry. representatives from two partners—the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority and the South Sudan Ministry “Kenya is the birthplace of ecotourism. We were pleased of the Interior—to attend the event. ough both Zeleke to partner with Kenya Tourism Board and the Ecotourism Tigabie Abuhay from Ethiopia and David Dol from South Society of Kenya to bring the conference back to where it all Sudan were busy with their responsibilities of developing began,” said Daudi Sumba, vice president for programme their countries’ wildlife-based tourism industries, they took design and government relations at AWF. the time to attend the conference.

For AWF, not only did the conference help spotlight the “Ethiopia and South Sudan hold role of nature-based tourism in Africa, but it also provided tremendous potential for wildlife an ideal backdrop to showcase AWF’s own work within the tourism. We felt that, in addition Conservation Lodges of Africa continent’s safari industry. AWF has been a leader in link- to AWF’s partnership with them, ing local communities to the tourism industry, helping to attendance at ESTC13 would establish tourism enterprises that provide economic returns provide Zeleke and David ad- and subsequently promote good conservation behaviours. ditional insight into the best way “Tourism can encourage good conservation,” Sumba ex- to move forward in their own plained. countries,” relayed Kathleen Fitzgerald, vice president for AWF further highlighted the link between conservation conservation strategy at AWF. and ecotourism with a media event during ESTC13 that highlighted the ongoing poaching crisis on the conti- To obtain a booklet of AWF’s nent. Standing in front of two large elephant tusks, Philip conservation tourism enterprise Muruthi, senior director of conservation science at AWF, work in Africa, visit awf.org/ addressed conference VIPs and the media at a special event. lodgebooklet “Even the loss of a few elephants can be devastating to eco- awf.org 10 African Wildlife Foundation’s African Landscape

the closest urban center, is two hours away on rough roads—Nasaruni has grown to more than 1,100 members with an asset base of Ksh 8.8 million (US$102,000). Loan repayment rates since inception have been near 90 percent.

Responsiveness to member needs One of the innovations that supported the rapid growth in Nasaruni’s membership was its responsiveness to members’ nancial needs. Roughly two thirds of the members are women, including the chair of the board. e FSO developed various loan products that were designed for specic purposes. Education loans—a key area of need for the local community—were structured around the school calendar and paid directly to the school for a child’s tuition. Similarly, business loans, development loans for buying assets and emergency loans were created, each with its own specic structure and terms.

Today, Nasaruni has grown to 1,100 members with an asset base of US$102,000 Maasai Women Grow Value “e willingness to structure loan products around borrowers’ specic needs speaks to Nasaruni’s innovation of Savings and commitment to the community,” said Brian McBrearity, director for conservation enterprise at AWF. “is is one of in Laikipia the key factors for its success thus far.” By Carlo Chege Programme manager, Female leadership

Mohammed Hashim conservation enterprise Benedetta Monto is chairwoman of the Nasaruni board, something that is not common with the traditionally patri- archal Maasai community. rough her leadership, the FSO elister Maiyani, a married Maasai woman and has been instrumental in training its members on conserva- mother of 10, is looking forward to building a house tion issues. Notably, the communities have reduced their for her family, complete with a modern iron-sheet production of charcoal as a means of generating income. roof. If Maiyani had to depend on her savings alone Fto pay for the house, the dream would remain a dream Monto recently led Nasaruni’s transition from an FSO for the foreseeable future. Maiyani, however, belongs to to a legally recognised Savings and Credit Cooperative the Nasaruni Financial Services Organisation (FSO). As a Organisation (SACCO), the natural progression for a member of Nasaruni, she is able to borrow enough money successful FSO. Having becoming a SACCO, Nasaruni so that she may build the house. In the remote Ili Digiri will soon add mobile phone-based banking services (like region of northern Laikipia, Kenya, the FSO has introduced M-Pesa). It will also be able to act as an agent for other a new savings culture and nancial vehicle to the Maasai commercial banks. e Laikipia County Commissioner for community, whose only means of savings previously was Cooperatives believes Nasaruni will set the pace for other through the expansion of livestock herds. With this new SACCOs in remote areas of the county to thrive. mindset, Maiyani is motivated by the promise of continued improvement in her family’s quality of life. With nancial and technical support from AWF, the newly recognised SACCO will move to a new building under con- Nasaruni was started in April 2009 by nine women’s groups, struction in Kimanjo market—a much more convenient and with seed funds and capacity-building support from AWF. accessible location for members. e new building will have e FSO began operations with 141 registered members a banking hall and sta o ces with updated technology. and assets of Ksh 22,600 (about US$250). Today, as the only anks to Nasaruni, the pastoralist community in this area institution in the area oering banking services—Nanyuki, will have access to all nancial services they need. 2013.ISSUE 3 11

Promoting the Conservation Efforts of Ugandan Women

By Abiaz Rwamwiri Communications Ocer, USAID/Uganda Tourism for Biodiversity

atural resources management and conservation require for 13 years. As part of the park’s patrol teams, this mother Nthe participation of women. In fact, the success of the and wife is oen out for eight straight hours traversing the USAID/Uganda Tourism for Biodiversity Programme relies bush to safeguard animals from poachers. largely on women’s participation in conservation as well as their leadership. Historically, women have been absent Olivia Biira. Biira began her career 14 years ago as a from the male-dominated eld of conservation leadership community conservation ranger in Rwenzori Mountains in Africa, yet their involvement in land-use planning National Park. She has worked in ve wildlife protected and enterprise development and management is central areas and coordinated conservation activities in 13 districts to mitigating the threats to biodiversity. ey need to be across Uganda. encouraged to pursue careers—and leadership roles—in conservation. Margaret Kasumba. As senior warden – legal, Kasumba largely concentrates on the prosecution of wildlife crime. In an eort to encourage young women in Uganda to She is currently on an exchange programme with Tanzania take on conservation careers, AWF launched a “Women National Parks. in Conservation Leadership” programme that recognises those women who have shown exemplary leadership in the Justine Namara. A senior planning and environmental eld of conservation and have made key contributions in impact assessment o cer with 10 years of experience in protecting wildlife resources. management planning for protected areas, Namara is the focal person for UWA on emerging issues, such as oil and is programme was launched on 22 August 2013, in gas extraction and hydropower development and mining in partnership with the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), protected areas. at a function that was attended by Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities Dr. Maria Mutagamba and U.S. Pamela Anyinga. Anyinga is senior warden for forest Ambassador to Uganda Scott DeLisi. e new programme restoration in Mt. Elgon National Park. She has been was piloted within UWA, with UWA nominating more involved in aerial wildlife counting (as a co-pilot), than 30 women. Ten were selected based on a criteria of community tourism projects, and reforestation programmes exemplary leadership and long service. Some of the women in several parks. who were recognised include: We believe that, with support from other partners, this can Dr. Margaret Druciri. Dr. Druciri is a wildlife veterinarian become an annual event that will be open to public nomi- with UWA who has been working in conservation since nation and voting. We hope that this programme will also 1997. She heads the research and monitoring unit in Queen encourage the award recipients to form a mentoring club Elizabeth National Park, where she rescues injured or and activities to attract other women to the “fraternity”. orphaned wildlife. The “Women in Conservation Leadership” programme honored outstanding Maureen Arabuuza. female conservationists in Uganda, such as wildlife veterinarian Dr. Margaret A head ranger at the Lake Mburo Druciri, seen here treating an injured lion. National Park, Arabuuza has been working in conservation Uganda Wildlife Authority 12 African Wildlife Foundation’s African Landscape

African Wildlife Foundation is grateful New Class of CMTP Starts at AWF for the support of all our funding partners, er launching its Conservation Manage- engaging with the AWF Conservation Schools including: Ament Training Programme (CMTP) last and conservation enterprise programmes. year, AWF recently welcomed its new fresh- man class: Sarah Chiles from South Africa, Tambara joins AWF from the University of Yohannes Seifu from Ethiopia and Edwin Zimbabwe, where he was a researcher. is Tambara from Zimbabwe. summer, he faced a di cult dilemma: to pursue a Ph.D. on scholarship at Stellenbosch Uni- Chiles, with her background in anthropology versity in South Africa or to join the CMTP. “I and urban studies, works to better understand weighed the two options based on my career the social factors involved in conservation ambitions and passion and what I needed in development. Her work experience with Kloof order to achieve these,” he explains.“I realised and Durban West Conservancies in South CMTP was the best way for me.” Africa has sensitised her to the urgent need for diplomatic, community-based approaches. Comprehensive training AWF’s two-year CMTP provides comprehen- Having previously coordinated community de- sive conservation training for young profes- velopment and training programmes in remote sionals. To be eligible for the programme, parts of Ethiopia, Seifu has a similar passion for individuals must have graduated with a

linking community development to conserva-Current Projectsmaster’s degree within the last three years and tion. Indeed, he says his favorite experiencesAspirational Projectshave at least one year of experience working on thus far in the AWF programme have been African conservation issues. Nile R.

Niokola-Koba Ethiopian Highlands Niger R. Regional Parc W Manding Simien Mountains Plateau

Gola Forest Boma-Gambella COTE Faro National Park D'IVOIRE Bili Niger Delta Chimps Uele Ethiopian Highlands Kidepo Valley Bale Mountains Tai-Sapo Forest Murchison Dja Falls Samburu Congo Budongo Rift Lake Mburo Valley Congo R. Kalinzi Mau Forest How AWF Virunga Kilimanjaro Lamu Serengeti Tsavo/Ngulia gef Approaches Maasai Steppe Ruaha Conservation Katavi Luangwa Selous Lake Indian Ocean WF achieves conservation impact in Kafue Malawi Zambezi Marine Africa by focussing on high-priority, large A Zambez Skeleton landscapes that have the potential to conserve i R. Coast Okavango Kazungula viable populations of African wildlife as well Etosha Save Conservancy Grootberg as key habitats and ecological systems well into Lodge Kalahari Limpopo AFRICAN WILDLIFE FOUNDATION the future.

Headquarters ese landscapes are composed of dierent Ngong Road, Karen Ora nge R. Zululand P.O. Box 310, 00502 land units—national parks, private land and Nairobi, Kenya community land—within a single ecosystem Great Fish +254 20 276 5000 2 2 River Nature ranging in size from 7,000 km to 95,000 km . Reserve fax +254 20 276 5030 Many extend across the borders of multiple Current Projects

Washington, DC O ce countries. Aspirational Projects 1400 Sixteenth Street, NW, Ste. 120, Washington, DC 20036, USA Target landscapes are selected based on a Nile R. +1 888 494 5354 fax +1 202 939 3332 detailed analysis that examines the region’s priority conservation actions specic to the Niokola-Koba Ethiopian Highlands biological, ecological, social and economicNiger R. area.Regional AWF Parc W works in the following strategic Manding Simien Mountains awf.org opportunities. In each landscape, AWFPlateau works areas: land conservation, species protection,

closely with partners and stakeholders—Gola Forest conservation enterprise, educationBoma-Gambella and capacity COTE Faro National Park including national and local governments,D'IVOIRE building, and climate change. PolicyBili is a cross- communities, research organisations, other cuttingNiger Delta theme Chimps that underscores allUele of AWF’s Ethiopian Highlands Kidepo Valley Bale Mountains Tai-Sapo Forest Murchison NGOs and the private sector—to develop Dja Falls Samburu programmes. Congo Budongo Cover Photo Credits: Perrin Banks, Ugandan Rift Lake Mburo Valley Wildlife Authority and Marius Coetzee/ Congo R. Kalinzi Mau Forest mariuscoetzee.com and AWF. Virunga Kilimanjaro Lamu Serengeti Tsavo/Ngulia Maasai Steppe

Ruaha Katavi

Luangwa Selous Lake Indian Ocean Kafue Malawi Zambezi Marine

Zambez Skeleton i R. Coast Okavango Kazungula Etosha Save Conservancy Grootberg Lodge Kalahari Limpopo

Ora nge R. Zululand

Great Fish River Nature Reserve